| OCR Text |
Show 1900.] FROM SOUTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA. 235 before the middle, the punctation strong anteriorly, rather finer towards the apex, often irregular and consisting of double punctures, those at the sides deeper and the interstices at the same place rather costate, the last one more strongly so ; legs fulvous, the femora darker, mucronate ; prosternum with lateral sulci. Hab. Salisbury, Mashonaland, ou mimosa (67. 3Iarshall). The most nearly allied and described species seem to be R. puncticollis Har. and R. natalensis Lefev. (sub Syagrus): the first named is, however, described as having an opaque thorax and the elytra distinctly broader at the base, with much finer punctures posteriorly ; of double rows the author says nothing. Lefevre's species is described in four lines, and the colour as " brunneo-testaceous " with an aeneous gloss ; the length is given as 3 millim.: the certain recognition of the species is accordingly an impossibility. R. micans Gerst. has a more finely punctured thorax and regularly simply punctate-striate elytra. RHEMBASTUS AFFINIS, sp. n. Oblong-parallel, piceous with aeneous gloss; antennae with the apical joints piceous, legs dark fulvous ; thorax coarsely punctured ; elytra strongly punctate-striate, the interstices slightly convex. Length 3 millim. Head rather strongly and closely punctured, w7ith a central longitudinal groove; the clypeus separated from the face, transverse, impressed with a few punctures; eyes preceded by a rather broad sulcus ; antennae scarcely extending to the middle of the elytra, flavous, the terminal two joints piceous, the second and tbe following four joints equal, the next two slightly dilated, the ninth joint rather thinner, the terminal ones stouter again; thorax trausverse, the sides feebly rounded, the anterior margin about one-third less wide than the posterior one, the surface coarsely and rather closely punctured, the punctures extending to all the margins ; elytra with a very shallow depression below the base, very strongly punctate-striate, the interstices with some very fine punctures, convex at the sides, the lateral margin preceded by a row of closely placed punctures; legs robust, fulvous, the femora with a very minute tooth; prosternum longer than broad, its surface rugose, longitudinally sulcate at the sides. Hab. Salisbury, Mashonaland, obtained by beating (G. Marshall). Allied to R. obscurellus Gerst. and R. cglindriformis Jac, but distinguished from either by the strong punctation of the thorax and the elytra. The present species greatly resembles Liniscus natalensis Lefev., but tbe sulcus in front of the eyes aud that of the prosternum place the insect in Rhembastus, with which it also agrees in other respects. RHEMBASTUS NIGRIPES, sp. n. Black below as well as the legs, the lower joints of the antennae, the head, and the thorax fulvous ; thorax closely punctured; elytra |
